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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · swing · temple · perch · pop · stem · can · stock

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pop — to visit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — a tin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stock — shares
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. perch — the fish
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. swing — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com